Speaking a Dead Language
by lkuecrar
Summary: Inspired by the song "Speaking a Dead Language" by Joy Williams (singer from The Civil Wars). Hermione finds out some terrible news and doesn't show up to any classes, causing Draco to worry when he doesn't see her all day. Draco finds Hermione and tries to make things okay. Post-war, EWE, Head Students, Hogwarts. Rated T for language. SUPER FLUFFY; YOU WILL GET CAVITIES.


AN: This is full of super-duper fluff. If that's yo thang, then read on! Listen to "Speaking a Dead Language" by Joy Williams while reading this; it's what inspired me to write this! I was actually going to write a new chapter for my Dramione story, but instead this happened.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or its Characters. J.K. Rowling does!

* * *

My eyes filled with tears, causing the letter in my hands to become a blurry mess of jumbled letters. Slowly, the letter fell from my shaking hands and floated down to the carpet beneath me. I slid down the wall, staring in shock at the Heads' common room; my body was racked by sobs.

_Mum. Dad. No. How did they find them? _I remembered the crushing sadness that had taken over my body when I obliviated my parents, in hopes that it would be enough to save them from the Death Eaters. _They died not knowing that they had a daughter. It's my entire fault._ I continued sobbing until my throat was raw, not caring that I had already missed breakfast and my morning classes.

I was thankful that Draco had left for the Great Hall before I found the pitiful letter from Kingsley. _He wouldn't know what to do with me._ I picked up the piece of parchment that fell beside me and reread the horrible words.

_Hermione,_

_I'm extremely saddened to inform you that your parents have been located in a muggle cemetery in Sydney. The team of aurors began searching graveyards after finding no trace of your parents in the area. Again, I want to express my deepest condolences to you._

_Sincerely,_

_Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic_

My sobs strengthened after rereading the letter. _They're really gone. I'm an orphan; I don't have a home anymore. Oh Merlin, what am I going to do? What's going to happen to me? Where do I go when school ends? _I felt nauseous from all of the sobbing and leaped up from the floor to run to the bathroom. Moments after leaning over the toilet, I retched into the bowl over and over again, emptying my already-empty stomach.

The nausea passed, only to be replaced with a numb feeling. _Is this what Harry feels like when he thinks of his parents?_ I stood up on shaky legs and stared into the mirror. My eyes were bloodshot and rid-rimmed. My face was splotchy and red, and my hair looked as if a dragon had taken residence in it. I smiled hollowly at my reflection before slowly walking back into the common room. The letter was lying on the ground near the window, where it seemed to be taunting me.

I slowly walked over and snatched the letter up, before turning around and heading up the stairs to my bedroom. _At least Draco won't have to deal with me breaking down if I hide in here. _I changed back into my pajamas before crawling back into my bed. I let out a shuddering sigh and tried to block out the thoughts that were swirling around my mind. I tried to focus on the one good thing that had come from the horrible letter: closure.

The first few months after the search for my parents had started, I kept hoping. Slowly, that hope turned into dread as the months quickly went by. The only people that had known about the search had been Kingsley, myself, and Mrs. Weasley; she knew because I had broken down after she hugged me in that motherly way that she had become so famous for. Harry and Ron didn't know; I just told them that I had told my parents to hide. Neither of them knew that I had obliviated my parents, and couldn't find them now. _Harry will probably be livid that I sent my parents away, when he never got the chance to even _know _his_ _parents._

Regardless of how hard I tried, I couldn't stop the tears from falling. I pulled my wand off my bedside table and flicked it at the window that was letting entirely too much light into my bedroom. I sighed as I was immersed in darkness before casting a calming spell on myself. A soft blue light lit up the room, instantly making me feel extremely tired. I succumbed to sleep seconds later.

* * *

I was worried. If I was honest with myself, I was more than worried._ She doesn't _ever_ miss classes._ As soon as DADA was over, I shot out of my seat and exited the classroom. While everyone else was headed downstairs to the Great Hall for lunch, I was headed upstairs to the Heads' dormitories. The thought of a hurt, mentally or physically, Hermione made me walk just a bit faster up the stairs.

At the beginning of the year, we had fought with each other like cats and dogs. _A Malfoy expected to live with a muggleborn? As if._ The fighting had gotten so bad that the Headmistress threatened to strip us of our titles as Heads if we didn't begin getting along with each other. Hermione tentatively offered a truce, which I accepted quickly. A few months later, we had become much closer. We were so close that I knew most everything about her: her favorite color was, surprisingly, blue; she wanted to become a Healer one day, and not an Auror, like everyone believed she would become; her favorite subject was potions, instead of arithmancy. I could probably write a book on the Head Girl if I wanted to.

It was only recently that I had realized the true extent of my feelings for her, and the thought of something being wrong with Hermione, to the point of making her miss classes, made it hard for me to breathe. I finally reached the portrait and muttered the password, not even slowing down to catch my breath. The door was barely opened before I was in the common room.

It looked as it usually did, with its homey shades of beige and a crackling fireplace. I looked around, hoping to see Hermione dozing on the couch. I would wake her, she would freak out and rush to the Great Hall for lunch, and I would laugh. I had no such luck though; the common room was empty. I peeked into the bathroom and frowned at the sight of the empty room._ Hopefully she'll be in her bed. At least then I'll know where she is._

I walked up to her door and hesitated for a second, before grabbing the doorknob and walking in. It was extremely dark inside of the room, as if there were no windows in the room. I slowly pulled out my wand and illuminated the room. I stopped dead in my tracks when I looked at Hermione's bed.

Hermione lay in the center of the bed, looking as if she had just been to Hell and back. Her face was puffy and red, presumably from crying, if the tears tracks on her cheeks were any indication. Her hair was even more wild than usual. My blood was boiling at the sight. _What happened to her?_ _Whoever made her cry like this is going to regret it._

I noticed that she was gripping a piece of parchment in her left hand tightly. My eyes widened when I took sight of the Ministry of Magic logo on the outside of the parchment. _What has the Ministry sent her?_ I slowly walked towards her and, with shaky hands, took the letter from her.

I felt as if I had been punched in the gut as I read the short, but to the point, letter. _Her parents are dead. _My anger came back tenfold. _They thought it would be bloody acceptable to tell her this through and owl?!_ An angry growl ripped from my throat before I could stifle it. I froze when Hermione's eyes snapped open.

* * *

_What in Godric's name was that?_ My eyes snapped open to see a visibly angry Draco standing over my bed. His hands were shaking and he seemed to be breathing harshly, trying to keep his anger at bay. _What is wrong with—_My eyes caught sight of the letter in his hands, and it all came rushing back to me.

_It wasn't a nightmare! _Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them, and then the sobs started again. Almost instantly, I felt strong arms wrap around me. I felt Draco settle down beside me on the bed as I settled my head onto his chest. Draco was whispering soothing words into my hair as I cried onto his robes.

A few minutes later, I calmed myself down enough to talk. "W-what are y-you doing b-back? W-what t-time is it?"

Draco was running his fingers through my hair. He spoke with a calm and gentle voice, a far cry from his usual snarky quips. "I came back up here when you never showed up to any of your classes; I got worried. It's around midday."

It felt like we had been lying there for hours when Draco broke the silence. "I thought that man was supposed to be your friend?" Draco was staring straight ahead, his jaw tightly clenched. I raised my head from Draco's chest and gave him a questioning look.

He turned and frowned at me. "Shacklebolt. How could he have thought that was something to say through an owl? You didn't deserve that." In a quiet voice, he spoke again as if he were talking to himself. "You don't deserve any of this."

My eyes watered slightly at his hurt tone. _I'm so glad I have him here for me. _"He's the Minister of Magic; he can't just drop every one of his duties to come chat."

Draco looked enraged. "To _chat?_ He could have, no _should have_, the common _fucking _decency to tell you that your parents _died_, in person!"

I let out a strangled sob at Draco's shout. He began apologizing over and over again, but I couldn't stop my tears. _They really are dead._ The way that Draco had just screamed it, made it feel as if that was the first time that I was hearing the bad news.

Draco was still frantically apologizing and hugging me to him when I came out of my thoughts. I frowned, knowing that Draco would work himself up if I let him. _Oh dear._ "Draco. Draco, it's fine; you didn't mean to. S'okay."

He finally stopped freaking out when I finally replied to him. His grey eyes looked at me guiltily. "I am _so _sorry for yelling at you. That's the _last _thing you need right now. I try to comfort you, and I wind up yelling at you." He let out a weary sigh. "I'm sorry. I just don't understand how someone could be so _stupid_. I guess I shouldn't be surprised; it _is_ the Ministry of Magic we're talking about." I gave him the largest smile I could muster, which turned out to be more of a grimace, to show him that I was okay. It didn't work, but he let the subject drop.

I looked down and noticed that we were still lying extremely close to each other. Any other time, I would have freaked out and pushed him off the bed; instead, I just relished the contact and snuggled back into his side and sighed as he wrapped his arm around me. Again, he was the one to break the silence. "Tell me about them. Your parents, I mean. They must've been good people, to raise you."

We spent the rest of the afternoon together. I would share stories of my childhood with Draco, and he would return the favor by sharing his own stories. I caught myself laughing a few times at Draco's animated story telling. The way he spoke of his childhood, and parents, made me smile; I had always assumed that his parents were cold and uncaring.

Instead of wallowing around like I planned, Draco managed to save me from my thoughts for the rest of the day. He didn't even complain that he was missing classes, and when I mentioned that people might be suspicious, he didn't seem the least bit bothered that people may think he and I were off snogging somewhere.

It was an hour after dinner had ended, and Draco and I were still swapping stories. I hadn't eaten once that day, causing my stomach to loudly complain. I blushed scarlet as Draco laughed. He hopped up from his place on the bed and told me that he would run down to the kitchens and get something for us. Before I could speak, he was out of the door.

I smiled as I heard the common room door slam shut. My smile widened as I thought about the wonderful day that I had with Draco. My eyes got misty as I thought about how wonderful he was being to me. The feelings that I had been trying to repress since we had become friends were beginning to be too much. _I shouldn't feel like this about him, but who wouldn't when he acts like this?_

I headed down to the common room before plopping down in front of the fire. _Maybe he feels the same. Why else would he have gotten so angry when he learned about the letter?_ _Maybe—_My thoughts were interrupted as I heard the portrait open, before quickly closing again. My stomach began fluttering at the thought of seeing Draco.

Draco looked surprised to see me in the common room and out of my bed. "Can't handle me in bed anymore, that it?" He waggled his eyebrows for added effect, before sitting down beside me with a basket full of food. My mouth watered at the smells coming from the little basket.

I giggled at him. "You caught me. That's definitely it." I reached into the basket and pulled out a roll. We quickly finished the food, and sat back contentedly. I leaned onto Draco's shoulder, causing him to stiffen. Before I could sit back up, he quickly wrapped his arm around my shoulder and relaxed.

_I have to say something. _I spoke quietly, but I knew that he could hear me."Thank you. Thank you so much for today. You don't know how much it means to me. I would have stayed in my room until further notice if you hadn't come. Thank you." By the time I was finished, I had tears in my eyes again.

Draco was absently tracing circles onto my arm. His chest rumbled under my head as he spoke. "You don't have to thank me, but you're welcome. I enjoyed spending time with you, even if it was under such terrible circumstances." I looked up and saw a light blush on his face as he stared resolutely into the fireplace.

_Maybe… maybe he does feel something for me. _Cautiously, I spoke. "Draco? Why did you get so angry when you learned that I got that news by owl?"

I immediately felt him stiffen, but he continued tracing circles on my arm. _Why did I have to say something? _He spoke after a few seconds of silence. "Because it… that—it hurt me to see someone so… so _careless_ when it comes to you. You didn't deserve that."

The fluttering in my stomach was back. I tried to keep my hopes from rising. "What… What do you mean?"

Suddenly, Draco sat forward and pulled his arm off of my shoulders. I was positive that the carpet would catch on fire if he stared any harder at it. I cautiously reached out and touched his back. "Draco? What's wrong?"

At my touch, he spun towards me. His eyes were blazing, and I felt like I could hardly breathe. He spoke quickly and passionately. "It hurts me to see you hurt. I can't even _imagine_ what you were going through when I read that damned letter. When you didn't show up to class this morning, I was worried. By lunch, I felt as if I was going to be sick because you still hadn't showed up. Hermione, I care about you; so much more than I probably should. I don't want you to ever hurt if I can help it." By the time he was done, my jaw had dropped in shock.

Draco was red in the face and breathing heavily after finishing his passionate speech. I stared at him for a few moments before launching myself at him. I cried into his shoulder as he held me tightly. _He does care._

I pulled back a tiny bit so I could look up at his face. The firelight bathed him in a warm light, causing his silver eyes to shimmer. He stared right back into my eyes for a moment before dipping his head low and kissing me. His tongue lightly traced my lower lip, asking for entry. I slightly opened my mouth and whimpered at the foreign feelings that Draco was sending through my body.

We broke apart for air a few moments later. Draco had a happy smile on his face, and I made sure to treasure that moment. This smile was different from his usual smirk; this smile was filled with love. I mirrored his smile before hugging him.

His chest rumbled underneath me as he laid us both back on the couch. "So... Are you my girlfriend now?" He asked in his usual cocky way, knowing what my answer would be.

I giggled before leaning forward and kissing him softly. After we broke apart, his smile turned more serious. "Hermione, if you ever need anything, I'm here. You can ask me for anything, and I'll try my best to fix it for you. You just have to ask."

I smiled at him. "Draco, you've helped me so much already. Thank you." I happily laid my head back down on his chest.

I frowned as I realized that I would have to move my parents' bodies after school ended. _Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask. _"Well, there is something." I sat back up on the couch and started twiddling my thumbs. My hands had always fidgeted when I became nervous. "After school ends, I'm going to have to move my parents' bodies back to London. They would've wanted to be… buried," I had to choke out the word, "here. Will you… Will you come with me? The only people that know they are in Australia would be Kingsley and Molly Weasley, and now you."

I steadily avoided looking at Draco, afraid that he would tell me no. Instead I felt him pull me back down beside him. He tucked me into his side before speaking. "Alright. I don't mind. I'd be honored to help." After a few seconds of silence, he continued. "I'll pay for everything. Father will give me the money if I ask for it." I opened my mouth to argue, but he put a finger on my lips. "Don't argue. I'm paying. That's final."

I smiled at him before settling back down. I stared into the fireplace and smiled at the dancing flames. _I bet mum and dad would've loved Draco. Well, after they got over the fact that he's the same boy that bullied me when we started at Hogwarts. _I smiled sadly as I thought about Draco sweating underneath my father's withering glare. My smile fell. _I'll never get to see that._ I could feel myself slipping back into dark thoughts, so I turned and snuggled deeper into Draco's embrace. I felt him laugh slightly at me, but didn't care. I smiled before succumbing to sleep in the arms of my Slytherin. _Everything will turn out okay. Draco promised, and for me, that's enough._

* * *

AN: Well, I was listening to a super depressing song called "Speaking a Dead Language" by Joy Williams. If you know who The Civil Wars is, then you know who Joy Williams is; she's the woman in the duo! You should really listen to this song if you like depressing music.

I actually like the way that this one-shot turned out, which is rare for me. I usually hate everything that I write. Hopefully, you'll like it too. Don't forget to _**FAVORITE**_ and _**REVIEW!**_


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